31st TIFAC Foundation Day : February 10, 2018
Theme : Future of Life on Earth – Role of Disruptive Technologies

Since the inception TIFAC has been celebrating its Foundation day every year on 10th of February to initiate and promote worthwhile areas of socio-economic importance through various technological tools. The recent focus of TIFAC has been to bring out disruptive technologies, most of which have not been indigenously explored, yet it may have impact on one’s life in near future in a completely unexpected way.

TIFAC has been playing a key role in providing inputs related to India’s climate change commitments. As part of India’s NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution), it has targeted to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 from 2005 level. It also intends to achieve about 40 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel based energy resources by 2030. In addition, it plans to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030. It would not be exaggeration to say that technology is going to play a pivotal role in achieving the NDC targets.

Keeping in line with its role of preparing country for upcoming disruptive technologies, since last 3 years TIFAC has been deliberating on various issues of importance to humankind. In 2015, TIFAC had organized discussions on “Future of Brain – A Race Between Mind and Machine”. This was followed up with another important theme “Future of Human Species – Impact of Exponential Technologies” in 2017. This year too TIFAC plans to discuss the theme - “Future of Life on Earth – Role of Disruptive Technologies?” on its 31st Foundation Day on 10th February 2018. It has been observed that the technologies developed by human being since last 2-3 centuries have had major impact on earth’s climate. Some believe that we have reached a point of no return. This can have huge impact on life on earth especially on human species. However while technology has been responsible for most of it, technology also seems to have solution to it. Based on the above theme, this year TIFAC would focus on three technology aspects: (1) Cellular Agriculture (e.g. meat without animal slaughter) (2) Vertical Multilayer Farming and (3) Carbon Capture and Utilization.